The Only-Live-Once Society | Book 2

Chapter Nineteen

In an effort of sisterhood, most girls have steered clear for the year of my relationship with Elijah, now word is out he really is single, all bets are off. He is constantly surrounded by a stream of adoring girls, whilst I sit by myself like a leper.

It turns out Grace was also aware of the plan, so I'm mad at her too. I've thought about running away several times, but I'm not convinced I'd pull it off and even if I did, I don't know where to run to. I'm orphaned, friendless and alone.

It's like I'm stranded on an island with no help and no tools, there is no way to get off. Unless, I completely forgive the three people I trusted most, who betrayed me in the most brutal way.

I have no idea if they captured Daniel, where he is, if their plan worked. No-one has told me anything, and I haven't asked. I haven't spoken in days, not a word has been uttered from my lips.

My favourite place in this hellhole is unfortunately somewhere Elijah and I have spent a lot of time together; the combat barn.

I don't let this stop me monopolising it. He can train literally anywhere else, the golden boy he is, everyone makes room for him.

This whole thing would be a lot easier if he looked even remotely affected by his newfound single-dom, but he doesn't seem to care at all. In fact, he's basking in the glory of all the girls fawning over him. Sauve git. He can't help but flaunt it.

I stomp past Elijah and his harem after school, along the weaving path through the grounds, to the combat barn. I am aghast when Vince is in there, hitting one of the hanging sandbags.

I don't say anything to him, just glare.

He stops punching for a second and takes me in. "You can't have the whole barn to yourself, it's for everyone to train."

I keep my vow of silence and enter the ring, signalling for him to join me. Today is a day where the fact I am allowed to punch someone, in the face, seems like a glorious thing.

Vince laughs, "You want to fight me?"

I nod.

"Amelia, have you lost your fucking mind?"

But I don't move, I stay still and waiting. Vince is arrogant. He's taller, wider and stronger than me but I'm smarter and I've been watching him for a long time. I'm small, fast and going to need to use my whole body weight to take him down. But I am going to take him down.

"Alright," He says, trodding over to me. "If you insist."

Once he's in the ring he limbers up. He'll make the first move because he thinks he has the upper hand.

He moves towards me and throws a half-hearted punch in my direction, I duck and punch out at his stomach, right below his ribs.

Before he can gather himself, I've slipped away and I'm on the other side of the ring. He looks at me with surprise, then he rushes at me. I sprint out the way, and now he doesn't look cocky at all.

He tries to kick but I block it with my hands, it stings a little but I don't really pay any attention to it. He tries to punch too, but I block that with my forearm. He lets out a frustrated grunt.

Whilst he stops to analyse me, I run at him, bent so my shoulder collides with his stomach and he folds over me with a yelp. I've knocked the wind out of him. I use all my momentum and weight to send him flying over the side of the ring.

He lands on his back with a thud, gasping for air. I don't feel remotely bad, it feels good to have got that out of my system. Breathless, I take a seat in the middle of the ring and wait for him to collect himself.

Finally, he props himself up on an elbow and looks at me. "Feel better?"

I shrug.

"You'll have to forgive us one day, you know that right?"

I'm not convinced I can, so I shrug again.

"They have Daniel, did you know that?"

I did not.

"They're holding him in the caves, where mum is."

For what reason?

"I guess they're trying to get as much information out of him as possible. They're trying to see what he knows."

What's the point? The C.O.A will come after him. They're making the whole school unsafe. They won't bring the organisation down with the son of a madman, and how am I meant to feel safe whilst he's kept in the school?

"I'm sure they have a solid plan. No one is going to let them hurt you."

But everyone has done a terrible job at protecting me so far, how is this any different?

"You're probably the strongest person I know, Amelia. But you can't do this alone."

I look at him. "I won't do it with people I can't trust either. People who see me as bait on a hook. Any one of you could have told me the plan, it wouldn't have made a difference. Keeping me in the dark was a choice, and you can all rot for it."

I get to my feet and walk towards the exit.

Vince follows me. "You kept Elijah in the dark about my mum, you can't be mad for being in the dark. It's hypocritical."

I spin on him, rage filtering through me. "That was to protect you! To protect her! To allow you to be able to see her! I wasn't putting yours, or his, intelligence above some grand plan! I wasn't using any of you as piece of meat to offer up to a terrorist!"

I have a strange urge to spit in his face, that's how angry I am. I don't though, I march right up to him and venomously say, "It is not remotely the same. I trusted you all. I thought we had a bond, that we were on the same side. But, together, you did what everyone has always done. Treated me like an outsider, like an idiot who doesn't deserve to know - as if I'm no more than a bargaining chip to be used at will. You can tell yourself whatever you need to, but what you did was a betrayal so sinister I will never forgive you."

I turn to spin away but Vince grabs my arm and spins me back, "We were protecting you."

"No!" We're so close together I can see the gold flecks in his eyes. Our chests bump into each other as they rise. "You all used me. Sent me to meet a boy who literally tortured me and murdered my parents without even the slightest warning that was coming! Going behind my back is not protecting me. Nothing about that was protection. It was a usage to meet your own goals."

Vince holds me in place, his voice steely. "If we had told you, would you have gone looking for Daniel? For the bomb? Would you have allowed the plan to go ahead?"

I rip my arm from him. "We will never know, because you never gave me the opportunity to decide for myself. You didn't treat me as an equal. No you. Not Elijah. Not Grace. You treated me as an inferior, shaky, little lamb, and you offered me up like it was nothing."

He steps back from me as if I've given him a blow, as if he is only just realising what they did to me.

There are tears in my eyes now, "You marooned me, alone, with no support system... and I hate you all for it."

Before he can see me crying, I spin away from him, ignoring the horrified realisation in his gaze, and how soft my name sounds on his lips. I march across the grounds and back to my dorm, feeling as though I'm falling apart at the seams.

I don't know how to exist in this new world, this colder world, this lonely word. But I know I don't want to stay in this school.